The Easily Distracted Entrepreneur

You know the feeling. Like everything is going right and you're on fire. Is it too good to be true?   Feels like it! Then the shit hits the fan and everything goes into the toilet. This is what I call the Fuckening. And it's going to happen at some point. There's no way around it.   But how you react to it can make a big difference. Will you fight it? Lean into it? Find a way to destress and move...

If you've been thinking about hiring to take some of the day-to-day minutiae off your list, you just might have waited too long to take the leap. That's according to this week's podcast guest, Ashley Cox of SproutHR.   Early in business, bootstrapping is essential. But as you bring on more clients, you start to eat into your family and rest time resulting in working more hours than you should or w...

It's the year of the video…again. And guess what? It will be the year of the video next year too. Video is incredibly popular, and for good reason. It allows your audience to see you and your personality, making an even deeper connection between the two of you, before you even have that first true conversation.   But too many people get hung up on doing it perfectly, so they don't even start.   It...

Rejection sensitivity dysphoria is one of the lesser-known responses associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. And if you're not aware of it, you can end up feeling paralyzed and alone.    You might think that sensitivity about how people perceive you and your work or that story you're telling yourself about why someone isn't responding to your email or direct message just comes wi...

We all get stuck sometimes. On some tasks more than others. Thankfully there are a lot of tools you can use to get unstuck in your business.   That project that you feel so much unclarity around. That paralyzing overwhelm you have when looking at your calendar. That solo podcast episode you just don't feel like recording. (Guilty!)   I feel like I'm a pro at getting stuck, but I'm also a pro at ge...

Without sales, you don't have a business. But the resistance to selling is fierce among small business owners, particularly in the helping professions. (I'm looking at you, therapists and coaches!)   There's too much frantic posting on social media, trying to be everywhere, and creating content for the sake of creating content. Where's the ask? Where's the solving of your audience's problems?   Th...

You're feeling strapped for time and need to hire some support for your business. This probably means your business is growing. Congratulations! Before you hire your BFF or post inside a Facebook group that you're looking for someone to fill a role, you have some work to do.   Hiring isn't something that anyone should take lightly, and it's likely that it's a much slower process than you expect. I...

Entrepreneurs are pulled in so many directions, but taking care of ourselves should be our number one priority. Because when we're not feeling good, we can't be there for our business or our family.   If you're a woman of a certain age, you might not be feeling yourself. Hormones, lack of sleep, and even being off on nutrition and exercise can contribute to feeling unwell. Together, these can comp...

If you're U.S. based and catching this in real-time, you're in the last days before your taxes are due. You probably already know that the timer is ticking down, and you might be avoiding it. (You're probably avoiding it.)   Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but taxes are non-negotiable for everyone. It's time to sit down and get it done.   But first, listen in to my pep talk. It doesn't have to...

One of the best feelings is when business flows and feels good, like you're doing what you're meant to be doing and it's connected to your soul.   If you haven't felt that before, it's time! It could be your leadership style that's holding you back or, more likely, that you're subscribed to patriarchal beliefs about leadership. And it's no wonder. We've been taught from birth that boys and girls,...

There comes a time when we all go through crap…in life, in business…and it's often both at the same time. Because what's impacting us personally is bound to impact us professionally too as small business owners.   When this happens, everything can feel pretty hopeless.    I'm hearing from a lot of people these days about some of the garbage going on in their lives, from divorce to illness to just...

Because formal training around business finances isn't a thing, except for actual financial professionals, many of us feel like we're left in the dark. Hiding from your financials isn't doing you any favors. We need a good handle on our money so we can make informed, data-driven decisions about our pricing, how we invest, and what we're taking home each month.  If you're not feeling confident in y...

Social media gives us an "in" to how other people work. While this might be helpful in helping us see other ways of doing things, we often get stuck in trying to replicate someone else's business. What if we knew what worked for our unique personalities and did that, instead of trying to model our businesses after someone else's? I'll tell you what would happen: We'd feel a lot more ease around gr...

Women, particularly those in the helping professions like coaches and therapists, have put ourselves into the box of being "nice." Of wanting to help others, so we don't charge them for the value they receive from the service. As a result, we're not only holding ourselves back but we're not delivering the service our clients deserve. And that, my friend, is perpetuating the story in your head that...

Visibility can feel really uncomfortable. And I'd argue that the more you're doing it right, the more uncomfortable you may feel. How so? Because that's when you're talking about the things that matter most to you and, likely, your potential clients. No one said that being a business owner was easy, and if they did they were lying. You're creating a stage for yourself when you start a podcast or a...

Do you want to grow a community of raving fans? It's not that hard to do, if you start right now. This, according to Pat Flynn on this encore release of this December 2020 conversation with him. Your community can support you in many different ways. They are your hope and support and can even become your raving fans. They can help you fight the internet trolls and help you to focus on growing your...

As a busy entrepreneur, your workday goes well beyond the hours you work in your business. Unfortunately, you don't always get "credit" (or paid!) for the extra work you're doing? What do I mean? I mean the invisible labor that society expects us (women) to do. I'm talking about organizing carpools and birthday parties, writing thank you notes, volunteering at school, planning vacations, making su...

Most couples don't experience being around one another all the time…day in and day out…nonstop…until they're in retirement. But as entrepreneurs working from home, now with our partners at home more often than before, we're feeling disconnected.  How is that possible? Being together 24/7 throws off our ADHD brains' schedules and it spotlights what isn't working in the relationship. Plus, many coup...

You didn't become an entrepreneur to sit in the shadows; people need to actually know who you are. You need visibility and one of the best ways to do that is through speaking--either on a stage, from a Zoom room, or on podcasts. The challenge is getting past the "I'm not readies" and the "I'm not enoughs" to actually pitch yourself and get those speaking gigs. News flash, friends: You won't be rea...

Is visibility on your priority list for this year? You're not alone! My guess is that at least half of the entrepreneurs out there are looking for visibility in some way, shape, or form. Luckily, there are a lot of ways we can get in the spotlight! And no, it's not about creating more content. That's not truly the way to get more exposure. It's about putting yourself out there where new people can...

You have goals this year, but do you have a plan to stick to them? Holding yourself accountable is tough to do. Trust me, I know from experience! But, dang it, after two years of feeling like we're just treading water, it's time to make some magic happen. The problem is that life and shiny objects get in the way. And don't forget about vacation time. (According to Dictionary.com, a vacation is "an...

You're ready to plan for 2022, and that includes creating content to market your products and services. But you're so overwhelmed with #AllTheThings you're "supposed" to do. There's a huge pull to try to do it all and be everywhere. And while putting yourself out there online is important, it is possible to do it without the overwhelm…and without hiring it out. On this episode of the podcast, I'm...

Have you created mission, vision, and values statements for your business? Or, is it time to recalibrate them? It's easy to get cynical about the idea of creating your mission, vision, and values. A lot of companies put forward nice-sounding, sweeping statements that have no connection in reality to how they're actually conducting business.  But, if done authentically, your mission, vision, and va...

Happy (almost!) new year! If you're like a lot of entrepreneurs, you're ready for a clean slate and fresh start. But before you dive into the new year, I encourage you to spend some time celebrating the wins you had in 2021.  Didn't have the best year ever? That's an even better reason to celebrate the wins you did have—and we both know you had some wins over the last 12 months. Those wins might n...

Have you started planning your goals for the year ahead yet? Or do you have a long list of things you're just hoping to get around to, without any clear roadmap for achieving them? On this episode of the podcast, Melina Palmer and I are exchanging some ideas and inspiration to incorporate into your annual planning for 2022. Think of it as your ultimate CEO Day, a valuable concept where you dedicat...